From the time of their formation around 3150 BC, the ancient dynasties of Egypt contained, and relied upon, a wide variety of crowns and headdresses. Each unique to respective pharaohs and often serving as essential pieces in a multitude of religious and funerary rituals, the crowns symbolized through their construction and design everything from the Egyptians’ gods to their political and social classes. Unfortunately, while much of the civilization’s pieces and contributions have survived to later help provide us with better insight into the lives and capabilities of these societies (such as the many mummified remains and treasures found within the great pyramids), the magnificent crowns and headdresses themselves seem to have not been as well-preserved or ever even completely uncovered by modern archeologists. As a result, their actual sizes and the exact material from which they were made is still unclear, however, depictions through statuary and décor along chamber walls have managed to give researchers at least some clues indicating as to why particular color schemes were used, certain animal components were incorporated, and how height and angle played a role in these royal pieces’ appearances and purposes.
Classified into about ten different categories, the crowns and headdresses listed below all exhibit colorful expressions of hieroglyphs and jewels and gems thought to then “link” those adorned with them to the gods above and deliver a type of “supernatural” connection and protection between the afterlife and the pharaohs’ kingdoms. Set tall and angled in a direction toward the “divine” heavens, the Egyptians also added animal (and occasionally plant) likenesses (ex: feathers, horns, etc.) believed to not only signify the hosts these gods frequently inhabited, but accentuate the wearer’s beauty, wisdom, and power.
Red & White Crowns and the Double Crown
Perhaps the oldest ‘traceable’ set of crowns, the Red and White Crowns (or, Deshret and Hedjet as they are alternatively known by scholars) represented both their individual lands, Lower (Red) and Upper (White) Egypt, as well as a united front worthy of another name, the Double Crown (also dubbed the Pschent Crown or ‘sekhemti’ – the “Two Powerful Ones”). First represented around the 1st dynasty, the two crowns are rarely depicted alone in later texts from the 19th dynasty on. Most experts, assuming the pieces were made of fabric or leather, note the interesting query surrounding why a sort of spiral “wire” ‘ornament’ ending above the Red Crown is continual omitted in later illustrations of the completed Double Crown. While some think this is intentional, no real explanation can be given as to whether this played into the royal social structure at the time or was meant to portray the collapse and then eventual unification of the separate territories. Either way, the set certainly represents the importance of the strong relationship which transpired between the kingdoms upon their merging as one.
THE RED CROWN OF LOWER EGYPT
Illustration of the Red Crown
THE WHITE CROWN OF UPPER EGYPT
Illustration of the White Crown
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The combined Double Crown (note that the "wire" 'ornament' from the Red Crown has NOT been omitted)
Blue Crown
Following the theme of colors, the Blue Crown, or Khepresh ‘war crown’ as it is also known, was designed with battle in mind as it was often depicted as a type of military helmet or armored protection for those venturing on a hunt. Decorated with golden circlets and a royal uraeus coiling at the head of the piece, some scholars believe, along with its raised pattern, it could have evolved from another category of crown, the Cap Crown. Famously pictured in a painting of Rameses II’s victory over the Hittites, this crown’s bold and distinctive blue coating definitely would have stood out on the battlefield and with its hue reminiscent of the sky’s, no doubt this was done with the hopes of pleasing the gods and reinforcing that all important partnership between the pharaoh and their deities.
Sculpted representation of the Blue Crown
Cap Crown
The aforementioned Cap Crown (or, Kushite cap) first appeared around the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt during which disarray filled the provinces following the end of the Middle Kingdom. Recognizable for its lack of extreme detail or decoration, this white linen was often paired with a uraeus though sometimes a horizontal pattern or circle sets were present. The sole surviving cap came from the tomb of Tutankhamun (better known as King Tut) and is said to be embroidered with gold and faience beads. This led scholars to associate the headdress with royal heirs, particularly sons. However, further evidence points to its use by queens as complementary pieces throughout the Amarna Period.
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The Cap Crown
Double Feathers Crown
Attested from the reign of Sneferu in the 4th dynasty onward, the Double Feathers Crown (or, “Two Feathers” headdress) was thought to have once served a special purpose among many Egyptian rites and ceremonies including the coronation following a pharaoh’s accession to the throne. Adorned with either falcon or ostrich feathers on each side, this crown shares similar features with another piece of royal regalia, the Atef Crown, in that it pays homage to a multitude of gods, both as a stand-alone arrangement or when combined with other animal ‘ligaments.’
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Example of the Double Feathers Crown
Atef Crown
The Atef Crown, dating back to the 5th dynasty, was a woven piece supposedly made of plant stems which held a golden disc or orb above its wearer, supported by side ‘horns’ decorated with feathers (presumably falcon or ostrich). Its appearance is assumed to symbolize “solar renewal” or related agricultural and fertility cycles, also representative of the prior bearer, the god Osiris’ embodiment of the “sun” and the “day” in contrast to other gods’ incarnations of the “netherworld” and the “night.” This idea of a fresh beginning or ‘rebirth’ with each rising of the sun was further exemplified through Akhenaten’s creation of a‘Triple Atef’ (or, the Hemhem interpreted as “Roaring One”), during the Amarna Period. While scholars are divided as to what ‘coffin text’ translations define the word “atef” as (either “his might” or “his terror”), one thing is for certain; when it comes to the importance and reliance the Egyptians placed upon their religious practices, this piece is unquestionably a prime example.
OSIRIS AND THE ATEF CROWN
Illustration depicting Osiris' green, vegetation inspired skin with the Atef
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Statue highlighting the Atef Crown's side 'horns' and feathers
THE HEMHEM CROWN
Depiction of Akhenaten's Hemhem Crown (or, the 'Triple Atef')
Amun Headdress
Also augmented by a pair of tall feathers, uraei, and horns, the Amun style headdress depicts an exact replica of the crown said to have been wore by the god it takes its name from, Amun. During a reign when Amun was viewed as the ‘dominant’ god of the Egyptian pantheon, this headdress’ base alone was popular enough to be adorned by many kings who felt a sort of literal protection from their god. However, as the 18th dynasty rose, its popularity shifted significantly toward queens. Like many of the royal crowns in this ‘collection’, Amun crowns could often be combined with others to symbolize a multitude of deities and their “supernatural” attributes. They also served as a basis of inspiration for many elaborate crowns that later came about during the Greco-Roman Period.
The Amun Headdress, noteworthy for its tall feather pieces
Nemes Crown
Designed around the 3rd dynasty and reaching its eventually peak by the 18th, the Nemes Crown, a relatively “classic” and stereotypical look often depicted through modern media and pop culture as an Egyptian “standard”, bears a striped pattern around a nape-length headcloth thought to resemble a piece shared between the gods Horus and Osiris. Similar in mythological background to the Atef Crown, this crown is likewise associated with “sunrise” and the concept of “reincarnation.”
The Nemes design, often represented as a "standard" in pop culture
Khat & Afnet Headdresses
Connected to the Nemes Crown, the Khat and Afnet Headdresses often appeared as a set, both even adorned by statues guarding the entrances to royal burial tombs throughout the New Kingdom. Representative in funerary contexts as a symbol of “rejuvenation”, the Khat usually complemented the ‘solar’ influences of the Nemes with its own ‘nocturnal’ imagery. The only discovered remnants of a Khat were found buried with the mummified remains of King Tut. In a related fashion, the Afnet was frequently used as a sign of mourning (such as modern mourning veils) during funerary rituals, as described in ‘pyramid texts’ by the grieving of Isis and Nephthys and the goddesses who surround the then deceased Osiris.
Displayed example of the Khat Headdress
Seshed-Circlet
The last in this list, the Seshed-Circlet, was also attested from the reign of Sneferu, like that of the Double Feathers Crown. Occasionally adorned with portions of said “Two Feathers” headdress or the Atef Crown, this piece was designed solely with the intent of displaying the uraeus amid an array of golden or silver circlets, usually accompanied by gems and stones or colored, painted glass. Further evidence suggests it was also worn as decorative wear with wigs and could even be tied onto the Amun Headdress, insinuating a sense of luminosity according to funerary depictions and another connection to the tale of Osiris. Only one example of the Seshed-Circlet was ever physically found, upon the head of King Tutankhamun.
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Replicated Seshed-Circlet
I decided to explore and examine these brilliant crowns and headdresses as I found, not only their construction and history extremely fascinating, but as I truly believe they are symbols of systems still set in action to this day; a hierarchy of sorts that later influenced their Roman conquerors and modern social classes. And though the crowns themselves and the Egyptians’ precise styles of art faded over time, structures and ideals presently embraced through contemporary social arrangements and ceremonial practices are as evident as ever.
Good job!!!
Egyptian Crowns & Headdresses
From the time of their formation around 3150 BC, the ancient dynasties of Egypt contained, and relied upon, a wide variety of crowns and headdresses. Each unique to respective pharaohs and often serving as essential pieces in a multitude of religious and funerary rituals, the crowns symbolized through their construction and design everything from the Egyptians’ gods to their political and social classes. Unfortunately, while much of the civilization’s pieces and contributions have survived to later help provide us with better insight into the lives and capabilities of these societies (such as the many mummified remains and treasures found within the great pyramids), the magnificent crowns and headdresses themselves seem to have not been as well-preserved or ever even completely uncovered by modern archeologists. As a result, their actual sizes and the exact material from which they were made is still unclear, however, depictions through statuary and décor along chamber walls have managed to give researchers at least some clues indicating as to why particular color schemes were used, certain animal components were incorporated, and how height and angle played a role in these royal pieces’ appearances and purposes.Classified into about ten different categories, the crowns and headdresses listed below all exhibit colorful expressions of hieroglyphs and jewels and gems thought to then “link” those adorned with them to the gods above and deliver a type of “supernatural” connection and protection between the afterlife and the pharaohs’ kingdoms. Set tall and angled in a direction toward the “divine” heavens, the Egyptians also added animal (and occasionally plant) likenesses (ex: feathers, horns, etc.) believed to not only signify the hosts these gods frequently inhabited, but accentuate the wearer’s beauty, wisdom, and power.
Red & White Crowns and the Double Crown
Perhaps the oldest ‘traceable’ set of crowns, the Red and White Crowns (or, Deshret and Hedjet as they are alternatively known by scholars) represented both their individual lands, Lower (Red) and Upper (White) Egypt, as well as a united front worthy of another name, the Double Crown (also dubbed the Pschent Crown or ‘sekhemti’ – the “Two Powerful Ones”). First represented around the 1st dynasty, the two crowns are rarely depicted alone in later texts from the 19th dynasty on. Most experts, assuming the pieces were made of fabric or leather, note the interesting query surrounding why a sort of spiral “wire” ‘ornament’ ending above the Red Crown is continual omitted in later illustrations of the completed Double Crown. While some think this is intentional, no real explanation can be given as to whether this played into the royal social structure at the time or was meant to portray the collapse and then eventual unification of the separate territories. Either way, the set certainly represents the importance of the strong relationship which transpired between the kingdoms upon their merging as one.Blue Crown
Following the theme of colors, the Blue Crown, or Khepresh ‘war crown’ as it is also known, was designed with battle in mind as it was often depicted as a type of military helmet or armored protection for those venturing on a hunt. Decorated with golden circlets and a royal uraeus coiling at the head of the piece, some scholars believe, along with its raised pattern, it could have evolved from another category of crown, the Cap Crown. Famously pictured in a painting of Rameses II’s victory over the Hittites, this crown’s bold and distinctive blue coating definitely would have stood out on the battlefield and with its hue reminiscent of the sky’s, no doubt this was done with the hopes of pleasing the gods and reinforcing that all important partnership between the pharaoh and their deities.Cap Crown
The aforementioned Cap Crown (or, Kushite cap) first appeared around the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt during which disarray filled the provinces following the end of the Middle Kingdom. Recognizable for its lack of extreme detail or decoration, this white linen was often paired with a uraeus though sometimes a horizontal pattern or circle sets were present. The sole surviving cap came from the tomb of Tutankhamun (better known as King Tut) and is said to be embroidered with gold and faience beads. This led scholars to associate the headdress with royal heirs, particularly sons. However, further evidence points to its use by queens as complementary pieces throughout the Amarna Period.Double Feathers Crown
Attested from the reign of Sneferu in the 4th dynasty onward, the Double Feathers Crown (or, “Two Feathers” headdress) was thought to have once served a special purpose among many Egyptian rites and ceremonies including the coronation following a pharaoh’s accession to the throne. Adorned with either falcon or ostrich feathers on each side, this crown shares similar features with another piece of royal regalia, the Atef Crown, in that it pays homage to a multitude of gods, both as a stand-alone arrangement or when combined with other animal ‘ligaments.’Atef Crown
The Atef Crown, dating back to the 5th dynasty, was a woven piece supposedly made of plant stems which held a golden disc or orb above its wearer, supported by side ‘horns’ decorated with feathers (presumably falcon or ostrich). Its appearance is assumed to symbolize “solar renewal” or related agricultural and fertility cycles, also representative of the prior bearer, the god Osiris’ embodiment of the “sun” and the “day” in contrast to other gods’ incarnations of the “netherworld” and the “night.” This idea of a fresh beginning or ‘rebirth’ with each rising of the sun was further exemplified through Akhenaten’s creation of a‘Triple Atef’ (or, the Hemhem interpreted as “Roaring One”), during the Amarna Period. While scholars are divided as to what ‘coffin text’ translations define the word “atef” as (either “his might” or “his terror”), one thing is for certain; when it comes to the importance and reliance the Egyptians placed upon their religious practices, this piece is unquestionably a prime example.Amun Headdress
Also augmented by a pair of tall feathers, uraei, and horns, the Amun style headdress depicts an exact replica of the crown said to have been wore by the god it takes its name from, Amun. During a reign when Amun was viewed as the ‘dominant’ god of the Egyptian pantheon, this headdress’ base alone was popular enough to be adorned by many kings who felt a sort of literal protection from their god. However, as the 18th dynasty rose, its popularity shifted significantly toward queens. Like many of the royal crowns in this ‘collection’, Amun crowns could often be combined with others to symbolize a multitude of deities and their “supernatural” attributes. They also served as a basis of inspiration for many elaborate crowns that later came about during the Greco-Roman Period.Nemes Crown
Designed around the 3rd dynasty and reaching its eventually peak by the 18th, the Nemes Crown, a relatively “classic” and stereotypical look often depicted through modern media and pop culture as an Egyptian “standard”, bears a striped pattern around a nape-length headcloth thought to resemble a piece shared between the gods Horus and Osiris. Similar in mythological background to the Atef Crown, this crown is likewise associated with “sunrise” and the concept of “reincarnation.”Khat & Afnet Headdresses
Connected to the Nemes Crown, the Khat and Afnet Headdresses often appeared as a set, both even adorned by statues guarding the entrances to royal burial tombs throughout the New Kingdom. Representative in funerary contexts as a symbol of “rejuvenation”, the Khat usually complemented the ‘solar’ influences of the Nemes with its own ‘nocturnal’ imagery. The only discovered remnants of a Khat were found buried with the mummified remains of King Tut. In a related fashion, the Afnet was frequently used as a sign of mourning (such as modern mourning veils) during funerary rituals, as described in ‘pyramid texts’ by the grieving of Isis and Nephthys and the goddesses who surround the then deceased Osiris.Seshed-Circlet
The last in this list, the Seshed-Circlet, was also attested from the reign of Sneferu, like that of the Double Feathers Crown. Occasionally adorned with portions of said “Two Feathers” headdress or the Atef Crown, this piece was designed solely with the intent of displaying the uraeus amid an array of golden or silver circlets, usually accompanied by gems and stones or colored, painted glass. Further evidence suggests it was also worn as decorative wear with wigs and could even be tied onto the Amun Headdress, insinuating a sense of luminosity according to funerary depictions and another connection to the tale of Osiris. Only one example of the Seshed-Circlet was ever physically found, upon the head of King Tutankhamun.I decided to explore and examine these brilliant crowns and headdresses as I found, not only their construction and history extremely fascinating, but as I truly believe they are symbols of systems still set in action to this day; a hierarchy of sorts that later influenced their Roman conquerors and modern social classes. And though the crowns themselves and the Egyptians’ precise styles of art faded over time, structures and ideals presently embraced through contemporary social arrangements and ceremonial practices are as evident as ever.